Phones And Mobile Cell Site Aid Firefighters Near Guffey, Colorado

What:
When the Park County Fire Department called for wireless service back up, Verizon Wirelessí Significant Event Response Term (SERT) responded with additional cell phones and equipment that increased wireless coverage for emergency crews battling the Nash Ranch fire.

The company deployed a temporary mobile cell site called a COLT (Cell on Light Truck) to the remote area. A COLT is a self-contained mobile cell site designed specifically for rapid and short-term network response. It enhances wireless coverage so that Verizon Wireless customers and emergency personnel can make more calls, send more messages and download information.

When:
A COLT mobile cell site and 50 wireless devices were dispatched on June 28.

Where:
In Colorado, at the Nash Ranch fire near the central mountain community of Guffey.

Why:
Verizon Wireless deploys mobile cell sites -- or boosts the call-handling capacity of existing sites -- to enhance its network when there is a natural disaster or other unplanned event. In the past year, Verizon Wireless has deployed mobile cell sites and other equipment to more than a dozen wildfire incidents around the country. Additionally, the company has provided more than 750 wireless phones with service to aid public safety officials and others.

Network Investment:
Verizon Wireless invested more than $102 million in its Colorado network in 2007. The companyís ongoing network investment now totals more than $700 million in Colorado and more than $45 billion nationally since the company was formed in 2000.

Reliability:
In addition to its fleet of mobile equipment, Verizon Wirelessí reputation as the nationís most reliable network is supported by industry-leading redundancy and maintenance measures. This has proven particularly valuable during natural disasters and other emergencies across the country.

Standard Verizon Wireless network-reliability features include battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations.